International Rugby Board reduces 2015 and 2019 World Cup fees

The tournament fees for the 2015 and 2019 Rugby World Cups are to be reduced in response to concerns from tender nations worried about cost implications caused by the worldwide credit crunch.

The International Rugby Board chairman Bernard Lapasset, says the minimum tournament fee for 2015 be reduced from around $277 million to just over $221 million with the 2019 fees reduced from around $332 million to $266 million.

Lapasset says the IRB agreed to take a pragmatic approach to help unions but th revised minimum requirements are just that.

He says there is nothing to stop one union bidding the minimum guarantee of $220 million for the 2015 tournament and another bidding $277 million.

The 2007 World Cup in France made the IRB a profit of nearly $249 million.

The draw for the pool stage of the 2011 World Cup takes place in London on Monday.